Many of us have heard of Andy Warhol and the Warhol pop art style that is prevalent in advertising and media. However who was Andy Warhol really? And how did he become a leading figure in the pop art movement? We profile the man and his life.
Andy Warhol was born Andrew Warhola in 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents had emigrated to the United States from Ruthenia, in the Slovak Republic.
Andy studied in the Carnegie Institute of Technology between 1945 and 1949. After his studies Andy Warhol started off as a commercial artist in New York, working for magazines such as the The New Yorker and Vogue. He also designed advertising and window displays
His first exhibition Fifteen Drawings Based on the Writings of Truman Capote, was a cult classic and were the first reflections into the mind of this genius. Soon after in the late 50’s and 60’s he started experimenting with silk screen printing and began using newspaper headlines, celebrities and other easily recognizable images from American culture in his work.
The term pop art or popular art came into the forefront around this time as many other artists around the world incorporated such every day things into their art. This mass adoption was what was referred to as the pop art movement.
Some of the celebrities he featured in his personalized pop art work include Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Liz Taylor and John F Kennedy. The Warhol pop art style also became synonymous with modern day chic.
These days many graphic artists around the world still emulate the classic Warhol pop art style in their works. Personalized pop art canvas studios can also be found all around the world and on the Internet.
Besides being one of the most influential artists from the 20th century, Andy was also an entrepreneur with investments in magazine, television shows and underground classic films. He had made over 300 films for which he used many of friends as actors. Many of his films were also pornographic in nature.
Like many great creative geniuses Warhol had an eccentric personality and was openly homosexual. He enjoyed mingling with celebrities, and kept company with many well known flamboyant individuals in the gay community. He had also used several of these acquaintances in his movies. In the later part of his life he also started wearing a silver wig. Pop art canvas prints of Andy Warhol in his silver wig are some of his more popular self portraits.
On the 22nd of February 1987, Andy Warhol died suddenly at a New York hospital following a gall bladder operation. Andy Warhol’s works can be seen at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You will find his pop art canvas prints, personalized pop art (featuring celebrities) paintings, sketches, drawings, photographs, films and other pieces of work. The museum is a must see for all followers of the pop art movement.
If you want to create personalized pop art canvas prints in Andy Warhol’s signature Warhol pop art style then visit PopArtPal.com for a truly unique visual experience. Our photos to pop art rendering process will create spellbinding pieces of artwork for your home/office and make great gifts for loved ones as well.
